Candidate Bucy campaigns in the Flathead

Montana Attorney General candidate Pam Bucy brought her campaign to the Flathead Valley last week with experience as her campaign’s emphasis. Bucy worked as Executive Assistant Attorney General from 2001-08 and currently works as administrative counsel for the Montana Department of Labor.

“Most of my career has sort of led me to running for this position,” Bucy said. “I got tremendous support from law enforcement across the state, many have lined up to support me and I am honored by that.”

In the past she drafted the sex and violent offender act which enhanced penalties for sex offenders and gathered resources for forensic interview teams to allow them to get solid records of interviews. This limits the number of times victims have to retell and relive their experience when interviewed.

She also worked with the gender equity and insurance law to make sure men and women pay the same for insurance.

If Bucy were elected, she would be Montana’s first female AG. She said the role of AG has little to do with being male or female, but there are some issues she thinks about more frequently as a woman.

She describes the AG position as the state’s “top cop” and sole legal representative.

Locally, Bucy’s experience extended to working with the tribes and with public safety initiatives and DUI enforcement.

Should she be elected AG, she said one of her goals is to bring the 24/7 DUI program to the entire state. This program was piloted in several counties throughout the state and requires repeat offenders to take a Breathalyzer every morning and evening.

Bucy was in the Flathead last week for a fundraiser in Whitefish on Sept. 13 and then a forum at University of Montana the next day.

“It’s tough to be a candidate in Montana, it’s such a big state and Montanans are wildly independent and want to hear from the candidates,” Bucy said. “In Montana it matters more than to have a D or R behind your name.”

Law enforcement is at the top of her priority list and she said she wants to ensure the department of justice assists local law enforcement so that they have the tools they need to do their job and keep communities safe. She said her key component is prevention.

“If there is anything I can do to prevent crime from happening in the first place, that is what I am going to do,” Bucy said.

Part of that goal includes her proposed internet security curriculum, eKids, to teach parents and children what they need to do to protect themselves from online predators.

When it comes to issues such as legalizing marijuana, concealed weapons, Citizen’s United, and right to work laws, she said it is the AG’s “constitutional obligation to defend the laws passed by the state.”

With marijuana she wants to see a bill developed by the state that works so law enforcement and patients understand what they can and can not do.

She said the current process of obtaining concealed weapons permits works well for the state and she would like to see reciprocity granted between other states.

As for Citizen’s United, she said it is critical for whomever the next AG is to preserve as much of Montana’s previous laws as possible.

“Specifically, disclosure requirements, we deserve and have the right to know who is spending money and impacting our elections.”

She also said she is not opposed to corporations playing a role in politics because they are impacted by the decisions made by politicians. But, they shouldn’t be able to play a bigger role than individual citizens.

In regards to right to work laws, she said that as the daughter of a union miner she believes the right to collectively bargain as laborers and employees is important.

She said the way she differs from her opponent in the election comes back to experience.

“My experience is different, I am the only candidate that has argued before the Montana Supreme Court,” Bucy said. “I am the only one to try sex offenders and done what was necessary to put them behind bars where they belong, and the only one with significant experience with the attorney general’s office.”